Electric Propulsion Thruster Assembly for Small GEO

A leader in Plasma Propulsion Subsystems, Snecma has developed a broad range of associated products and services, including Thruster Module Assemblies and the Smart-1 lunar probe Electric Propulsion Subsystem. Four flight units of the 1.5-kW PPS ® 1350-G stationary plasma thruster have been manufactured for Alphasat. This paper provides a status update on the development of a new product line: the Electric Propulsion Thruster Assembly for the European Small GEO platform. This new satellite development is performed under Artes Element 11, an ESA program to develop the new generation of small platforms for telecommunications satellites in geostationary orbit.